Facebook today launched a new Mentions app, designed for "actors, athletes, musicians, and other influencers," allowing them to "discover and join conversations" on Facebook.

Limited to Facebook users who are "verified public figures," Mentions aims to let celebrities interact with fans. The app displays mentions to let users know what the public is saying about them, and it has tools for sharing status updates, photos, and videos, much like the standard Facebook app. It also includes a feature that allows celebrity users to host live question and answer sessions directly from their iPhone.

Along with tools for interaction with fans, Mentions will also display trending conversations, so celebrities can share an opinion on popular news.

Facebook Mentions is currently only available to verified public figures using Pages. To gain access to Mentions, visit http://facebook.com/mentions.

Mentions is a new way for actors, athletes, musicians and other influencers to discover and join conversations on Facebook.

- See what fans are saying - Start a conversation with people and influencers who are talking about you.
- Tell your story - Share updates, photos and videos and host live Q&As directly from your phone.
- Join popular conversations
- Discover what's trending and add your voice to the story.

According to Facebook product managers (via Re/code), celebrities who have tested Mentions use Facebook twice as much as before. Actors like Tyrese Gibson have been experimenting with the app for several months, with Gibson reportedly using Mentions to share the famous video where Dr. Dre bragged about being a billionaire ahead of Apple's Beats acquisition announcement.

While Mentions will remain limited to verified public figures for the time being, Facebook says it has plans to expand access to conventional Facebook users in the future.

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